Aftermath

The addition of slaw
– made with vinegar and equal parts
horse-radish, mustard, and ketchup
to any picnic dinner
Is rivaled by the
subtraction of potato salad,
the kind with sweet relish and
mayonnaise. Divided loyalties about
how these dishes get made
and who gets the leftovers,
stored in plastic bowls
and covered with multi-ply towels
to keep away the flies.